http://goo.gl is Google's URL Shortener service. A website address, also known as URL (Uniform Resource...

A website address, also known as URL (Uniform Resource Locator), tends to be long, especially when linking to academic articles. Click on this short link of a blue-winged pitta: https://goo.gl/0bA3ih
After you click on it, it will show you the full URL.

This is important when asking students, or parents, to visit a webpage. Asking the students to view the blue-winged pitta on their computers using the full URL will be very difficult if the URL is long like the previous example.